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Your Next Summer Read Is A Novel About Lonely People Grasping For Connections

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It should feel like too much to smash together a book about undiagnosable illnesses and New Age alternative remedies with a book about a New Age relationship experiment run by a narcissistic celebrity with a book about the dehumanizing gig economy with a book about growing up under Voluntaryist religious fundamentalism. The genius of Catherine Lacey lies in the fact that her new book, The Answers, doesn’t feel like too much; the pieces are bizarre and timely and fit together like puzzle pieces into a somehow timeless examination of humanity.


Lacey’s heroine has been backed into a corner. Raised by fundamentalist Christians in a rural home, she had no official documents or real contact with the outside culture until she left home as a teenager and moved in with an aunt, who renamed her from “Junia” to “Mary.” Now in New York, she’s drifted out of touch with her family. She has one dear friend, who has left on a mysterious quest of self-fulfillment. She has a job at a travel agency that barely keeps the lights on. And she has a mysterious, debilitating illness with no diagnosis. She sees doctors and specialists as her symptoms shift and worsen, but no one can put a finger on the root cause. Finally, she’s found a treatment that works ― PAKing, an alternative therapy that seems similar to reiki ― but that demands significant out-of-pocket expenditures.


So she decides, like so many young people crushed by debt and lack of opportunity today, to find a side hustle.


In another novel, that side hustle might have been driving for a ride-share or nannying the children of New York’s elite. In Lacey’s universe, nothing is so obvious. Mary responds to a mysterious help-wanted ad, then finds herself auditioning for a lavishly paid gig as, it turns out, the Emotional Girlfriend to movie star Kurt Sky. She’s both a guinea pig in an experiment to better understand the ideal relationship and an emotional laborer hired to keep the self-involved Kurt satisfied romantically. Scientists behind the scenes may be pulling the levers, but he’s providing the funding and reaping the immediate benefits of having carefully cast girlfriends to provide him with emotional support; for sex, for silent companionship, for arguing and for intellectual conversation.


This setup, dazzling and yet sinister as it may be, has little excitement for Mary. Being deprived of intimacy after her one relationship fell apart and her one friend disappeared on her seems to make her less particular about who she gives her time to ― besides, she needs the money. But she doesn’t much enjoy listening to Kurt’s emotional turmoil and responding in the directed fashion. He, on the other hand, finds himself fascinated by her quiet, submissive demeanor and her ability to listen with apparent interest for hours. (Naturally the Intellectual Girlfriend, with her frequently expressed opinions and education, soon wearies him.) He demands more and more of her time; soon, the experiment has transformed from a weird side gig to an all-consuming lifestyle that demands her to alienate herself from her own emotional needs to be what her boss asks. Still desperate to finish her PAK therapy, she clings to the unsettling but well-paying job.


As the novel progresses, we move in and out of Mary’s perspective to hear from Kurt, who muses on his failed past relationships and the movie he’s been trying to perfect in edits for 10 years; his obsessively devoted personal assistant, Matheson, who resents Kurt’s increasing dependence on Mary; and other women who participate in the project, particularly Ashley. A boxer with a burning grudge, she agrees to be Kurt’s Anger Girlfriend, only to find herself drawn back into a youthful trauma that threatens to blow up the whole experiment.


Lacey’s prose radiates elegance beneath its unassuming, unflashy surface; there’s nary a maladroit word or an unrevealing detail. She skillfully balances a truly absurd array of hot-button topics and weird narrative twists, playing them off each other virtuosically to weave a surreal-feeling story with deeply pragmatic concerns: How do we come to know ourselves? How do we become part of our community? What should we sacrifice to give a partner what they need? What should we demand from each other? Can a relationship be satisfying to us without dehumanizing our partner? How do we reconcile our personal fulfillment with the increasingly all-encompassing demands of simply staying alive in this economy? What are the limits of technology and science to provide us with happiness?


The Answers offers no answers, of course. Instead, in its stark portraits of bewildered, alienated people, it lays bare the unresolvable paradoxes of need that we all hold in our hearts.


The Bottom Line:


Lacey searches for the unanswerable human questions that drive us in her novel of lonely, lost New Yorkers grasping for connection in alienated modern society.


What other reviewers think:


NYT: “This is a novel of intellect and amplitude that deepens as it moves forward, until you feel prickling awe at how much mental territory unfolds.”


Kirkus: “With otherworldly precision and subtle wit, Lacey creates a gently surreal dreamscape that’s both intoxicating and profound.”


Who wrote it?


Catherine Lacey has written one previous novel, Nobody Is Ever Missing. She has won a Whiting Award and was selected as one of Granta’s Best Young American Writers.


Who will read it?


Fans of fiction that blends the surreal with realism, such as Murakami.


Opening lines:


“I’d run out of options. That’s how these things usually happen, how a person ends up placing all her last hopes on a stranger, hoping that whatever that stranger might do to her would be the thing she needed done to her.


For so long I had been a person who needed other people to do things to me, and for so long no one had done the right thing to me, but already I’m getting ahead of myself. That’s one of my problems, I’m told, getting ahead of myself, so I’ve been trying to find a way to get behind myself, to be slow and quiet with myself like Ed used to be. But of course I can’t quite make it work, can’t be exactly who Ed was to me.”


Notable passage:


“I looked at his face in the pale dawn, sleeping or just still, and I let myself completely feel the pain of missing a person who no longer exists. Not missing a person who has died, not mourning (I had yet to feel actual grief), but the strain of trying to see the person I’d fallen in love with inside the person he had become. Now I know this just comes with love, that there’s no way to avoid seeing a person gradually erased or warped by time, but the first time I realized this with Paul ― it felt apocryphal.”


The Answers
By Catherine Lacey
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $26.00
Published June 6, 2017


Buy on Amazon or your local indie bookstore


The Bottom Line is a weekly review combining plot description and analysis with fun tidbits about the book.


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Move Over 'Hamilton,' D.C. Just Debuted 'Trump'

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WASHINGTON ― Summer theater means different things in different parts of America. In the suburbs, it’s dinner theater. In New York, it’s Shakespeare in the Park. In New England, it’s summer stock.


In Washington, it’s gavel-to-gavel investigative hearings on Capitol Hill.


After a series of low-level tryouts, “Trump” opened big Thursday on D.C.’s version of Broadway ― a packed Senate hearing room ― with the earnest but venomous testimony of the former FBI director, James Comey.


Within minutes of being sworn in, he’d called the man who fired him, President Donald Trump, a congenital liar; accused the president of trying to pressure him into shutting down probes into possible campaign collusion with Russia; and hinted that, while Trump was not originally an investigative target, he might end up being one, if for no other reason than he may be obstructing justice.


The semicircle of senators in the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing room were largely in the background, framing the scene like the kicking chorus line in a boffo opening number.


They asked soft, obvious, or beside-the-point questions of a literally towering figure (he stands 6 foot 8), who is self-righteous and too clever for his own good, but who could and did easily make them look foolish when they meekly tried to nail him.


Meanwhile, across town, an uncharacteristically subdued Trump spoke to a roomful of Christian political conservatives, while keeping fingers away (for a few minutes) from his Twitter account. Without mentioning Comey, Russia, Senate hearings or special counsels, the president declared that he would fight and always win, and that America’s future was great.


No one expects this meek silence to continue, no matter how gravely Trump’s New York lawyer and friend, Marc Kasowitz, admonishes him.


No, this was just the opening scene of a many-act play that will unfold over coming months or even years, and that is now a permanent feature of the Trump years, however long they last.


It’s the way of Washington now. 


In the Clinton years, a real estate controversy called Whitewater morphed into the Lewinsky scandal, and then metastasized into an impeachment and trial. The whole process consumed seven years, during which Bill Clinton won election and re-election.


This time, there are five investigations underway about Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, and whether Trump or what he calls his “satellites” knew about or colluded with efforts that U.S. intelligence officials have traced directly to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.


Probes are being conducted by the FBI; the larger intelligence “community,” including the National Security Agency; the Senate Intelligence Committee; the House Intelligence Committee; the House Oversight Committee, and, of course the new special counsel, jut-jawed Robert Mueller.


All of these entities have subpoena power, or can get it through others, and all have long and overlapping lists of witnesses they want to investigate in private and in public.


They can and ultimately will, at the end of the play, answer the fateful question, one of the most serious that can be asked here: Did a foreign power, a malevolent and hostile one at that, have witting and willing partners in Trump or his circle?


And there are the other urgent final questions in any Washington drama: Did the president try to cover up what he and others knew and did, and did he obstruct justice in a way that could get him impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate?


Trump and Comey together insured this production would go big-time because of mutual distrust.


On Jan. 6 in Trump Tower, the then-FBI director stayed behind after a security briefing to warn the president-elect about the existence of a soon-to-be published FBI source memo with “salacious” but uncorroborated accusations about him. Comey wanted to be candid and helpful, and not come off as a “J. Edgar Hoover” clone threatening others, he testified.


Trump furiously denied the accusations in the FBI source’s memo ― and almost certainly immediately concluded that Comey was a serious threat. Comey, for his part, said he went into that meeting knowing that he had to memorialize it afterward, because of what he already knew about Trump’s character. 


That memo-writing habit helped Comey make the opening act such a smash hit. He’s not a choir boy, though he would like to meet that standard, even if playing bureaucratic hardball is the only way to do it.  


He disclosed in the hearing that he had leaked word of Trump’s pressuring him so that Attorney General Jeff Sessions would have no choice but to appoint a special counsel to take over. Mission accomplished.


But Comey is only the first of many potential antagonists likely to appear. Other potential main characters include:




  • Sessions, who recused himself from the Russia probe because of his own contacts with the Putin crowd, and who, in doing so, earned Trump’s enmity and suspicions. Does Sessions leave, and if so, what will he then say?




  • Former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn, a Putin pal and Russophile whom everyone but Trump distrusted, and whose financial dealings may make him vulnerable.




  • The “Satellites.” These are the people Trump views as his aides, advisers and hangers-on. They are people he depends on, but from whom he keeps legal and functional distance. It’s the operating method of spies and the mob. As Comey vividly explained Thursday, if you “turn over rocks” in an FBI or other investigation, you may find that people have committed crimes unrelated to the main issue at hand, in this case Russia collusion. These perps can then be “flipped and squeezed” to tell what they know.




  • Putin. He has denied all, and recently in Moscow somehow managed to work conspiracy theories about the Kennedy assassination into his answer. The world troll of democracy is eager to play in the American media, and is enjoying his role as defender of due process for his beleaguered comrade in authoritarian arms, Trump.




  • Republicans. GOP members of the Senate Intelligence Committee for the most part went meekly before Comey. They didn’t attack him much, and they did not defend Trump much, either. Will that change, in one direction or the other, and if so, when? We’ve got months to go to get a real answer – perhaps even until after the 2018 midterm elections.



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Stephen King Confirms It’s Trump, Not Comey, Who’s A 'Nut Job'

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Since last year’s presidential election, a handful of popular writers — J.K. Rowling, Margaret Atwood and Stephen King among them — have used their position to criticize the new administration. 


King once again shared his thoughts on President Donald Trump, during former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony Thursday.


“After listening to Comey today and Trump for last 4 and a half months, I have a clear opinion on which one is the actual ‘nut job,’” he declared.






Aside from occasional posts propping up TV shows and books that he recommends, or cataloging the doings of his pet dog Molly, King has devoted most of his recent social media activity to political comments.


“No wonder Trump’s always babbling about fake news,” King tweeted last week. “He is a fake president.”


King’s outspokenness hasn’t been restricted to social media; last summer, he was among over 400 authors who signed a petition against Donald Trump, writing, “as writers, we are particularly aware of the many ways that language can be abused in the name of power.” 

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Why The Rhetoric Used To Question Comey Sounded So Familiar To Women

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On Thursday morning, former FBI Director James Comey testified about his interactions with President Trump at great length in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee. As tough and pointed questions were asked of him by the senators on the committee, some Twitter users who were watching the testimony on TV noticed a parallel: The tenor of the questions that some senators asked ― as well as Comey’s responses ― sounded eerily like the back and forth many victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence are subjected to. 


Throughout the course of his 2+ hour testimony, Comey was asked why he didn’t stop President Trump from making inappropriate comments (“You’re big. You’re strong...There is a certain amount of intimidation. But why didn’t you stop and say, Mr. President, this is wrong. I cannot discuss this with you.”); why he didn’t report the comments (”Did you tell the White House counsel it’s not an appropriate request? Someone needs to tell the president he can’t do these things.”); why he continued to take the president’s calls even after asking not to be left alone with the president (”You said...I don’t want to be in the room with him alone again, but you continued to talk to him on the phone. What is the difference in being in the room alone with him and talking to him on the phone alone?”); whether he found it odd that Trump asked him to have dinner one-on-one (”How unusual is it to have a one-on-one dinner with the president? Did that strike you as odd?”); whether he initiated the dinner (”Did you in any way initiate that dinner?”); and whether the President of the United States saying that he “hopes” something occurs is akin to giving a directive (”You may have taken it as a direction but that’s not what he said.”).


Women on Twitter took notice of the rhetorical devices at play in these particular exchanges as well as the testimony as a whole, because those devices felt... familiar.























There are, of course, crucial differences in these situations: James Comey was not sexually harassed or assaulted by President Trump. It’s not unreasonable for a senator to question the way the FBI Director responded to the President of the United States or whether he found a particular action to be odd. FBI Director Comey was in a significant position of power ― a position that most survivors of assault and harassment are not in. And the trauma a victim of sexual violence, harassment or abuse experiences when their narrative and motives are questioned by an authority figure is not the same as what Comey experienced testifying under oath. 


The reaction to a woman who says her superior sexually harassed her and the reaction to a man who says the president asked him to drop an FBI investigation are only similar insofar as they both activate entrenched power structures that are designed to protect the most powerful among us. This is the larger truth that the reaction on Twitter speaks to ― a truth that most women are forced to learn over the course of their lives.


Women inherently understand the thorny implications of being left alone in a room with a powerful man. We know that if we accuse that powerful man of wrongdoing, sexual or otherwise, our motives are likely to be questioned, and the blame will likely be shifted onto us rather than the alleged abuser. As my colleague Chloe Angyal pointed out on Twitter Thursday, crimes like sexual assault and sexual harassment are about power more than sex ― as are attempts to discredit the victims of these crimes.



The reaction to a woman who says her superior sexually harassed her and the reaction to a man who says the president asked him to drop an FBI investigation are only similar insofar as they both activate entrenched power structures that are designed to protect the most powerful among us.



This reality is reflected when alleged victims of sexual harassment or assault are asked things like: Are you sure he meant that the way you interpreted it? Why did you agree to be alone with him? Why did you continue talking to him after the incident occurred? Why didn’t you report the incident earlier?


At their core, these lines of inquiry are designed to undercut the victim’s story, and to place the responsibility for what happened onto the victim’s shoulders rather than the aggressor’s. (If you want an example of these power structures at play within the context of workplace sexual harassment, take Anita Hill’s 1991 testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee about Clarence Thomas.)


When power is asserted in inappropriate ways ― whether by a sleazy, run-of-the-mill boss or a President of the United States who is nervous about the “cloud” an investigation has cast over his administration ― the mechanisms at play to protect the more powerful party are ultimately the same.


This is why women, watching Comey be questioned by a panel of powerful men and a few select powerful women, found the whole scenario so devastatingly familiar. When a power structure springs into action to protect itself, some form of victim-blaming will inevitably follow. The crimes or transgressions may be very different, but the lesson remains: Power protects power, and if you got hurt, well, didn’t you kind of bring that on yourself?

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An Apology Expert Analyzed Greg Gianforte's Letter To Ben Jacobs

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Montana Republican Greg Gianforte, who was elected to Congress last month, issued a letter of apology on Wednesday for an incident in which he physically attacked Guardian journalist Ben Jacobs. 


“I had no right to respond the way I did to your legitimate question about health care policy. You were doing your job,” he wrote.


Gianforte is accused of body-slamming Jacobs after the reporter asked a question about health care policy. It was reported that Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck and broke his glasses. Gianforte was charged for misdemeanor assault that evening and won Montana’s lone congressional seat the next morning.


Jacobs accepted the congressman-elect’s apology shortly after it was released. Gianforte is expected to appear in court on or before June 20. He faces a maximum punishment of six months in jail and a $500 fine for his behavior.


Experts agree that apologies, private and public alike, should contain several elements to be considered effective, according to Roy Lewicki, an apology expert and a professor emeritus of management and human resources at the Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. 


“The tone of the letter conveys a certain amount of sincerity and genuineness,” Lewicki said. “There’s multiple expressions of regret.”


What makes an apology effective


Research by Lewicki suggests that there are six elements to an effective apology. They are, in order of importance, an acknowledgement of responsibility; an offer of repair; an expression of regret; an explanation of what went wrong; a declaration of repentance and a request for forgiveness. The more elements an apology includes, the more likely the apology is to be accepted, Lewicki said.


Gianforte’s letter is well-rounded based on these standards. Lewicki, who has analyzed prior public apologies, reviewed what makes Gianforte’s note stand out. Below is the letter to Jacobs, re-typed, with annotations of where these apology elements come into play:



Dear Mr. Jacobs: 


I write to express my sincere apology for my conduct on the evening of May 24. My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful [acknowledgement of responsibility]. As both a candidate for office and a public official, I should be held to a high standard in my interactions with the press and the public [acknowledgement of responsibility]My treatment of you did not meet that standard [expression of regret].


Notwithstanding anyone’s statements to the contrary, you did not initiate any physical contact with me, and I had no right to assault you. I am sorry for what I did and the unwanted notoriety this has created for you [expression of regret]. I take full responsibility [acknowledgement of responsibility]


I understand the critical role that journalists and the media play in our society. Protections afforded to the press through the Constitution are fundamental to who we are as a nation and the way government is accountable to the people. I acknowledge that the media have an obligation to seek information. I also know that civility in our public discourse is central to a productive dialogue on issues. I had no right to respond the way I did to your legitimate question about healthcare policy [declaration of repentance]. You were doing your job. 


In the hope that perhaps some good news can come of these events, I am making a $50,000 contribution to the Committee To Protect Journalists, an independent non-profit organization that promotes press freedom and that protects the rights of journalists worldwide [offer of repair].


I made a mistake and humbly ask for your forgiveness [request for forgiveness]


Sincerely, 


Greg Gianforte



Gianforte’s apology repeatedly accepts responsibility and shows remorse over his actions. That matters, according to Lewicki.  


“One of the things we found in our research was that acknowledgements of responsibility were probably one of the most important components of an apology and he comes back to that several times,” Lewicki said.


Lewicki said Gianforte’s request to repair ― aka, the $50,000 donation to the Committee to Protect Journalists ― is somewhat remarkable and does a good job of expressing genuine concern. 


“That’s not chump change,” he said. 


How the apology is being received


Gianforte’s expression has received mixed results, from praise to criticism. Some believe the apology is genuine:






Others denounce the apology for glossing over the initial statement released by Shane Scanlon, a spokesperson for the Gianforte team. Immediately after the body-slamming incident, Scanlon blamed Jacobs for initiating the altercation. 


The apology letter says, “you did not initiate any physical contact with me,” but does not go into detail about the original effort to cover up what happened. 






But Lewicki says what’s more critical now is the apology Gianforte is making directly to Jacobs. However, one letter cannot determine if Gianforte is truly sorry. For that, Lewicki says time is the ultimate decider on whether the contrition sticks.


“You’ll have to look now at how Gianforte handles himself in the future,” he explained.


A solid apology is a good first step.

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23 Harry Potter Wedding Ideas That Will Excite Your Inner Wizard

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Any wedding can feel magical, but a Harry Potter wedding is positively spellbinding. 


We’ve gathered 23 enchanting ideas for brides and grooms who consider themselves honorary Hogwarts alumni.



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Meryl Streep Dressed Like Diane Keaton For Diane Keaton's AFI Gala

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Just when we thought we couldn’t love Meryl Streep any more, she goes and dresses like Diane Keaton ― and now we don’t know who we love more, Meryl or Diane. Let’s just call it a draw. 


Streep honored her friend in the best way possible on Thursday night, by copying Keaton’s iconic style to celebrate the American Film Institute’s 45th Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute to the actress at the Dolby Theatre Hollywood.


Dressed in her signature black and white, Keaton was a delight as she posed next to Streep, also in black and white. Keaton rocked a hat and a wide belt over a black skirt and white coat, while Streep wore her own headgear and a black suit featuring an eclectic striped necktie. Both ladies wore glasses and huge smiles, of course. 




“Diane Keaton, arguably one of the most covered-up persons in the history of clothes, is also a transparent woman,” Streep told the crowd, according to The Hollywood Reporter, “even though she is famously the only member of the original cast of ‘Hair’ on Broadway who would not take off her clothes at the end of the show.”


The gals ― who were joined by Woody Allen, Reese Witherspoon, Al Pacino, Emma Stone, Morgan Freeman, Sarah Silverman, Rachel McAdams, Steve Martin and Martin Short at the special event ― have been pals for years, with Keaton even giving her own speech at Streep’s AFI tribute in 2004. 


“By putting life before art, Meryl Streep has made the choice of a trailblazing pioneer, and in the process became my generation’s genius,” Keaton told the crowd of the Oscar-winning actress. 


Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. And man, nothing beats this: 



The Diane Keaton AFI Tribute will air on TNT June 15 and then on Turner Classic Movies July 31. 


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'Geography Class For Racist People' Roasts Ignorant Trolls Of The Internet

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Lilly Singh has had enough with the racist, ignorant comments some people leave on her videos. 


The popular internet personality, who goes by the name IISuperwomanII on YouTube, systematically tore down her haters in a viral video that promised to give her trolls the geography lesson they desperately need.


The tirade was prompted by a troll whose comments seemed to reveal a pitiful lack of knowledge about the world. 


“When something horrible happens in the world, you’ll see the rise of two types of people,” Singh said in the video. “Number one, people who don’t let fear divide them and instead choose to come together. And number two, racist idiots who don’t deserve an internet connection.”


The commenter apparently told Singh, a Canadian Sikh of Indian heritage, to “go bak to ur country, you terrorist paki afghan indian muslim slut #MakeAmericGreatAgain.” 


“If you’re going to be racist, at least do it right,” Singh said about the comment, before launching into a “Geography Class for Racist People.” 



"You silly American Aussie Brit."



In the video, Singh stood in front of a world map and took her viewers on a journey to the imaginary country of “Paki Afghan India.” She reveals to her audience that these are actually three different countries. “You silly American Aussie Brit,” she sighed.


She touched on a number of other issues, aiming digs at President Donald Trump, Fox News, and at trolls’ lack of education about the world outside America. 


Singh, a proud Sikh, defended Muslims against stereotypes about Islam. 


“Although there are approximately 175 million Muslims in India, there are approximately 2 billion in the whole world. Which means if every Muslim was a terrorist, you wouldn’t stand a goddamn chance,” she said. “Good thing they’re not.” 


By Friday, just one day after the video was published on YouTube, it had already racked up more than 1.5 million views. 


Watch Singh’s video above.

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Real-Life Vampire Couple Says Sucking Blood Is Better Than Sex

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They’re bloody perfect for each other.


Two self-proclaimed vampires in Austin, Texas, say they’ve found true love thanks to a passionate relationship built on sucking each other’s blood.


Countess Lea and Count Tim Van Doorn (who we suspect aren’t really royal) met two years ago at a vampire festival and felt what Tim described to Barcroft TV as an instant “connection of darkness.”


That quickly turned into a romance that alternately really bites and really sucks ― in a good way, according to Lea, a 20-year-old fetish model.


“We are kind of like sharks once we get going. I feel this rush of life, their essence, and their energy is coming into me,” she told Barcroft TV. “It is a sexual experience and we often draw blood in the bedroom. Vampires are highly sexualized creatures and having sex literally gets the blood pumping.” 



Although the couple each has matching acrylic fangs strong enough to draw blood, they prefer to use razor blades or syringes.


Tim, a 31-year-old tarot card reader, says the experience is as satisfying as sex.


“When I feed via blood it is it just as good as sex because as I feel this rush of life, their essence, their energy is coming into myself and I am taking it in and I feel empowered,” he told Barcroft TV. “I feel the person I’m feeding from on a whole different level and in a totally different way than I could with words.”


Lea added, “I actually prefer drinking blood to having sex. You are taking the essence of a person and that to me is ecstasy. There is no better feeling.”


These partners-in-plasma plan to get married in November 2018, and are raising Tim’s 3-year-old son from a previous marriage.


They say they will both be happy if he follows in their path, but don’t want to force it on him.


“We feel that it is something that the vampire has to discover for themselves,” Tim told Barcroft TV.


As extreme as the practice may seem, consuming small quantities of blood are likely harmless according to Live Science, as long as the “donor” is free of blood-borne diseases.


A 2015 study by D.J. Williams, director of social work at Idaho State University, suggests the global vampire population numbers in the thousands.


Though the “Twilight” movies and the “True Blood” series have helped make vampires trendy, Williams told Reuters that the majority of self-proclaimed vampires “believe they were born that way; they don’t choose this.”

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Harry Potter Fans Are Making Voldemort His Own Movie

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The rich world J.K. Rowling built for “Harry Potter overflows with fascinating characters and detailed backstories ― so much so that she had to leave a great deal out of the books themselves, and even more out of the films. Perhaps the most tantalizingly underexplored story: Tom Marvolo Riddle’s transformation into Lord Voldemort, the most powerful dark wizard in history.


There’s good news for those who’ve always wanted to spend more time on Riddle’s unsettling backstory, however; a long-teased, fan-created movie is expected to fully explore his youth and his rise to power. Teasers for the film released on YouTube indicate that the story will explore Riddle’s time at Hogwarts and his growing submersion in dark magic, as well as the efforts of a witch named Grisha McLaggen, heir of Gryffindor and a Hogwarts classmate, to defeat him.


“Voldemort: Origins of the Heir” first took shape when a group of Italian filmmakers, fascinated by the character of Riddle, decided that he deserved his own movie. Gianmaria Pezzato and Stefano Prestia began work on a film that would, according to their production company Tryangle Films, “show the psychological aspect of Tom Riddle.”


“There are some clues in the books which have not been transposed at all in the movies, but a lot goes unspoken,” Pezzato told Polygon recently. And where Rowling leaves things unspoken, fan writers, artists, and filmmakers have always been eager to fill in the gaps. 


In 2016, a Kickstarter was launched to fund the project. Just one problem: Voldemort, as part of Rowling’s Harry Potter universe, does not belong to the public domain. After Warner Bros., which produced the official “Harry Potter” movies, intervened, the crowdfunding campaign was shut down, leaving the project in a public state of limbo. 





Recent days have brought good news for fans who thirst for more insight into Voldemort’s youthful psyche, as Tryangle released a new teaser for the film on YouTube and announced that they had reached an agreement with Warner Bros. to proceed with the film. “The only thing we can say is that they let us proceed with the film, in a nonprofit way, obviously,” Pezzato told Polygon.


Warner Bros. confirmed the agreement in a statement, according to the BBC. “This fan film project is not endorsed by or affiliated with Warner Bros. at all,” the distributor stated, adding that “We are generally supportive of non-commercial fan activity relating to Harry Potter,” provided the creators “work within appropriate parameters and that it is clearly identifiable as a fan created film.”


In accordance with their agreement, Tryangle now plans to complete the film as a nonprofit work, which will be released on YouTube for free. Talk about a passion project ― and one that many devoted Potterheads will doubtless be passionately excited to see. 


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How 150 Unsolicited Dick Pics Are Bringing Women Artists Together

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The ongoing harassment many women-seeking-men endure on dating apps across the internet is ... exhausting.


The presumptuous pickup lines, the aggressive responses to rejection, the  #NotAllMen evangelism, and, most potent of all, the unsolicited dick pics. Years ago, the penis-photo-we-did-not-ask-for was a horrifying anomaly. Today, the dick pic is everywhere, a sinister reminder of sexual harassment’s gross ubiquity online.












“This behavior is so commonplace we have all just accepted it as the norm,” Whitney Bell explained to HuffPost.























Bell is the woman behind “I Didn’t Ask For This,” an exhibition of over 150 real, unsolicited dick pics received by the artist and other women she knows. Displayed in a gallery furnished to look like your BFF’s apartment, the framed pictures are meant to evoke the feeling women get when a dick pic arrives. You’re sitting on your couch among your throw pillows, floral lamps and vintage suitcases when, all of a sudden, a man’s penis has overtaken your screen. It’s that easy to make a woman feel unsafe in her own home.












“When you put hundreds of dicks and the aggressive comments that accompany them up on display like this, the absurdity of it almost becomes comical,” Bell said. “I was fed up with the harassment and the threats, fed up with feeling unsafe. I was done quietly accepting harassment as my reality.” 


Her show, a version of which was previously on view in Los Angeles, opened in San Francisco on Friday. According to the artist, the exhibition is not intended to shame men, penises, or men with penises. Instead, Bell wants “to expose the normalization of misogyny ― especially online,” to provide a forum where people who are both shocked by or numbed to the practice of sending dick pics can talk about everyday harassment.









































Whose dicks are featured in the show? “The river of dicks that line the gallery walls were sent by just that: Total fucking dicks. Unsolicited, unwanted dicks.” Bell, a woman whose life has been lived fairly publicly online, received a fair share herself; the rest came from female friends and members of feminist organizations who needed only open their old Tinder accounts to find a suitable addition to Bell’s show.


Bell is adamant that the collection of pics, accompanied by other work from 30 artists exploring “the female condition,” is not a form of “revenge porn.” When asked how she’d respond to people who think otherwise, she replied: 



Much like the All Lives Matter “activists” who crash Black Lives Matter protests, these people don’t really care about what they claim to. If you were really concerned about All Lives, or about harassment, you wouldn’t only bring it up as a response to a marginalized group’s plea for visibility. Do you really think your time is best spent defending men who use their genitalia to harass and intimidate women online? Do you really think that harassing the harassed for calling out harassment is beneficial to anyone? I implore you to pick a better battle. 










































She does acknowledge that the “rules of dick pic sending” function differently in straight and gay communities. While she understands that abuse and harassment exist in queer spaces, her goal was not to lessen the experience of LGBTQ individuals by focusing on straight women, but to “highlight the the overwhelming issue of heterosexual harassment inflicted upon women. Most specifically I wanted to address the societally endorsed behavior of men attempting to exert their control over women through aggressive sexual advances.”


At the end of the day, Bell hopes those visiting her show will “look beyond the hundreds of penises and the threatening comments that line the walls,” and realize that the issue of sexual harassment is much larger than a few (or, in this case, 150) dick pics.


“I urge them to recognize how little respect many men have for women and that it’s high time we stop sweeping aside our daily harassment as routine.” 























See some of the original artworks by women on view at “I Didn’t Ask For This: A Lifetime Of Dick Pics” until June 11 at SOMArts Cultural Center below.


According to Bell, tickets for the Friday show have already sold out, though there will be a few hundred more available at the door, as well. If you’re in the mood to see the pics IRL, Bell suggests trying Saturday. “Go to brunch then come peep some peen.”


A portion of the proceeds from Bell’s show is being donated to We Are #HappyPeriod, which supplies homeless individuals with the menstrual products they need. Bonus: If you bring a box of tampons or pads to donate, you’ll receive a free drink ticket.








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8-Year-Old Didn't Throw Away Her Shot To Have A 'Hamilton' Birthday Party

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When Aisha Greene’s daughter asked her parents to send her and all her friends to see “Hamilton” (the Broadway musical that won 11 Tony Awards and still has fans scrambling for tickets), Aisha knew it’d be impossible. When her daughter asked for a “Hamilton”-themed birthday party, Aisha decided she had to make it happen.



Aisha’s daughter, Clarke, had her birthday at New York’s Fraunces Tavern, a museum and restaurant, on Saturday. The creative mom took about a month to gather party favors and decorations to reflect her daughter’s love for the musical. At the museum, the kids did a “Hamilton” scavenger hunt and afterward dressed in colonial costumes and touched replicas of historical artifacts. At the restaurant, they did crafts, took photos and sang “Hamilton” karaoke. 


The party, which about 27 kids and 25 adults attended, featured black, white and gold balloons (to match the musical’s color scheme), a cake inspired by the show’s playbill, trifolds that featured lyrics and photos from the musical and “Hamilton” goody bags that included paper dolls of the characters and mini U.S. Constitutions. Kids also took home a pad and an American flag pen, so they could write like they were “running out of time,” just like Alexander Hamilton did in the show.


Clarke’s father, Hayden Greene of Greene Light Photography, captured the fun event in all its patriotic glory. 


“My part is always simple: make sure Clarke has super images to look back on!” he told HuffPost. “The Greene family is proud to have really good documentation of the kids’ childhood.”



Aisha told HuffPost that her daughter thought “it was the best party ever.” 


“I think I’ve bought myself time before she requests to see the play again,” she joked.


She said the other kids, even those who weren’t familiar with the musical, also had a blast singing along and engaging with the scavenger hunt. 


Aisha, who lives in Brooklyn, said there are many reasons why her family adores “Hamilton.” The music is “accessible and infectious.” Clarke also appreciates the connections between the musical and her family.


“She’s invested in the story of an immigrant from the Caribbean,” Aisha said. “Her dad and grandmother are both from the Caribbean so immediately she found a connection to the storyline. Finally, she’s a New Yorker and it is a story about ‘the greatest city in the world!’”



When asked what Clarke would say is her favorite song from the musical, Aisha passed the question along to her daughter, who (unsurprisingly) replied, “One favorite?” If she had to choose, the 8-year-old said she’d pick “My Shot” or “You’ll Be Back” because “King George is hilarious.” 


Though the planning and setup for Clarke’s birthday was more time-consuming than a party with a more common theme, Aisha said the experience was worth it. 


“Would it have been easier to do a ‘My Little Pony’ or princess party? Of course,” Aisha told HuffPost. “But this challenge? Totally worth it because my daughter is ‘Satisfied.’”


See more photos from Clarke’s birthday party below.



The HuffPost Parents newsletter, So You Want To Raise A Feminist, offers the latest stories and news in progressive parenting.  

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James Corden And Emily Blunt Pop-Sing Their Way Through 'Romeo And Juliet'

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The “Late Late Show” did it the Bard way.


Host James Corden and actress Emily Blunt performed an accelerated “Romeo and Juliet” Thursday, singing through Shakespeare’s play of star-crossed lovers with 14 pop songs on seven different sets.


The late-night talk show, based in London for the week, did right by England’s greatest playwright.


Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s “Parents Just Don’t Understand” are among the inspired song choices.


And “Kung Fu Fighting” is fine by us under any circumstances.




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Taylor Swift Songs Were Streaming This Whole Time If You Looked In The Right Place

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The world, and probably Katy Perry, collectively freaked out on Friday when it was discovered that Taylor Swift re-released her whole catalog to Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal. 


Swift made the decision to pull her music from streaming services in 2014, as she was “not willing to contribute my life’s work to an experiment that I don’t feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists and creators of this music.” 


But, oddly enough, on the day her rival Perry released her new album, “Witness,” Swift’s team made their big announcement.


“In celebration of ‘1989’ selling over 10 Million Albums Worldwide and the RIAA’s 100 Million Song Certification announcement, Taylor wants to thank her fans by making her entire back catalog available to all streaming services tonight at midnight,” a statement read


Thing is, Swift’s music has been available on streaming services for months now. You just might not have been looking in the right place. 







Exhibit A: Ryan Adams.


The musician’s cover of Swift’s critically acclaimed and beloved album “1989” never left Spotify or other platforms. And to be honest, some ― including myself ― prefer his take on the lyrical gems. Swift herself praised Adams and his work on her hits like “Out of the Woods” and “Blank Space.”


“Actors say a line, say a sentence, but they say it with different emphasis on different words and they completely change it. That’s what you did with my album,” she told the “Prisoner” singer. 


“I was listening to that record and thinking, ‘I hear more,’” Adams told Rolling Stone of his decision to record “1989” in his own style. “Not that there was anything missing. I would just think about the sentiments in the songs and the configurations.”


He added, “It wasn’t like I wanted to change them because they needed changing. But I knew that if I sang them from my perspective and in my voice, they would transform. I thought, ‘Let me record “1989” like it was Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska.””


Adams turned Swift’s songs into timeless lullabies, focusing more on the emotions behind the lyrics rather than the ‘80s beats. His version peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard chart and earned himself and Swift some nice pocket change. “Blank Space” had over 21 million listens on Spotify alone. 










So if you’ve been desperately craving Swift’s catalog on streaming services, maybe you were missing out on listening to Adams’ “1989” on repeat. (If you did just that, bravo!) You could have also played songs like Little Big Town’s “Better Man,” Kellie Pickler’s “Best Days of Your Life,” Miley Cyrus’ “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home,” and, infamously, Calvin Harris and Rihanna’s “This Is What You Came For,” all of which Swift wrote. 


Happy you’re back online, TSwift tunes, but glad we had Ryan Adams to hold us over. 




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Ariel Winter Tackles Slut-Shaming In Poignant Instagram Post

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Ariel Winter is back at it again with a body-positive message. 


On June 8, the “Modern Family” star posted a powerful illustration on Instagram that shows exactly why slut-shaming women for what they’re wearing is so problematic ― and plain absurd. The artwork was originally created by The Equality Institute and appears to have been updated by Stephanie Nemmer. The Equality Institute is an organization fighting for gender equality and preventing violence against women. 


Winter posted the illustration on Instagram, along with the hashtag #yourbodyisYOURS.



A post shared by ARIEL WINTER (@arielwinter) on




The illustration looks to be inspired by a 2013 photo taken by Canadian college student Rosea Lake that features a young woman’s legs with markings. Each marking reveals the varying judgements that are thrust upon women depending on their skirt length. The markings near the woman’s ankle and calf say “matronly” and “prudish,” while the markings that signal a shorter skirt read “whore,” “slut” and “asking for it.”


In the artwork Winter posted, all of these markings are crossed out to reveal a new statement that reads: “Someone that can do what the fuck ever they want with their body because skirt length does not correlate to how sexually available that person is regardless of how society teaches that we should be ashamed of our bodies.” 

On June 6, Nemmer tweeted that she “fixed” the original illustration. The tweet shows the before and after of Nemmer’s “fix.”


As of Friday afternoon, Nemmer’s tweet had received over 36,000 retweets and 47,000 likes.





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J.K Rowling Delivers Strong Message To 'Cool' Guy Who Called Theresa May A 'Whore'

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Accio feminism.


J.K. Rowling doesn’t have time for liberal men who hurl misogynistic insults at women — except to put them in their place.


On Thursday, British Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap election that was thought to be an easy victory for her. It wasn’t. May’s Conservative Party lost seats to Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, prompting Corbyn to tell May to resign.


She didn’t. The election results left Britain with a so-called hung Parliament. The minority government then struck a deal with the smaller Democratic Union Party in order to maintain leadership. 



Not everyone was pleased with this outcome.


According to Rowling, a liberal man she follows, and has always liked, called May a “whore” on Twitter. So the British author promptly unfollowed the man and tweeted her explanation for doing so:


























































Though Rowling’s response is powerful, it isn’t 100 percent perfect. While “whore” can be used as a slur, some people have taken issue with Rowling’s claim that “comparing a woman with a prostitute” is inherently offensive.














Perhaps Rowling, like the man she unfollowed, can take these criticisms and grow from them.

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Katy Perry Is Livestreaming Her Life In A Publicity Stunt Designed To Sell Records

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It takes a lot to sell albums these days. Just ask Katy Perry ― no, really, you can ask her, since it’s part of the publicity stunt she’s currently undertaking.


Perry is livestreaming her life for the whole weekend as part of the release of her new album, “Witness.” The livestream began late Thursday night on the 32-year-old singer’s personal YouTube channel. Five cameras are broadcasting from inside a Los Angeles residence, according to People magazine. 


At press time, Perry was doing yoga with ”Modern Family” actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson. 



Earlier, fans could tune to ask questions and watch Perry do mundane things like eating or sleeping. 










No doubt anyone who watches long enough will witness Perry spill more tea on Taylor Swift. 

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8 Things Every Broadway Fan Should Watch, Read Or See Before The Tonys

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Still deciding whether to forego rent this month and see Bette Midler in “Hello, Dolly!”? Is your obsession with Ben Platt starting to verge on unhealthy? Were you put on this earth to see Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon swap roles every night in “The Little Foxes”?


Well, fear not, theater fans, because the Tony Awards are upon us, with host Kevin Spacey leading the festivities this year on CBS. The stars of stage and screen (alert: Cate Blanchett will be in attendance) will gather in New York City on Sunday night to celebrate the stellar year in theater.


This Broadway season took us everywhere, from working-class Pennsylvania in Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning play “Sweat” to inside the hearts of a fractured family facing the HIV/AIDS crisis in “Falsettos.” Also, though he may not be nominated, but now is a good time as ever to thank the theater gods for casting Jake Gyllenhaal in “Sunday in the Park with George.”


So whether you’re a diehard fan or just tuning into this whole Broadway thing, it’s time to do your homework and check out some theater #content from around the internet about the shows nominated this year. 


And for those “Hamilton” fanatics, yes, the Tonys still happen when the musical isn’t nominated, but, rest assured, Lin-Manuel Miranda will be there.  


 


“Dear Evan Hansen” (Best Musical)


From the minds of “La La Land” songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, “Dear Evan Hansen” has won over audiences (and Hollywood) thanks to a career-defining performance from Ben Platt and catchy ballads that tug at the heartstrings. Watch Platt and co-star Laura Dreyfuss’ performance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” below. 





“Sweat” (Best Play)


The early favorite to pick up the award for Best Play this Sunday, Pulitzer winner “Sweat” is the most politIcally relevant of the bunch, exploring the lives of factory workers in a small Pennsylvanian city. HuffPost recently interviewed playwright Lynn Nottage about what the play says about Trump’s America.


Nottage is also working on a companion piece titled “Floyd,” which will ... twist ... be a comedy. 





“The Little Foxes” (Best Revival of a Play)


Laura Linney. Cynthia Nixon. Period piece. Need we say more? Set in a small town in Alabama circa 1900, both deliver tour de force performances and then switch roles on the subsequent night. They’re also close friends offstage, and brought the fun to “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” earlier this year.





“Falsettos” (Best Revival of a Musical)


We cried and then we cried some more. This musical revival about an imperfect family struggling to stay together in the wake of a divorce and a father’s coming out was a standout this season. The cast is slated to perform at the Tonys this Sunday, so read this comprehensive piece from BuzzFeed about why the show means so much to the LGBT community and how it’s more timely than ever. 





“Hello, Dolly!” (Best Revival of a Musical)


As turn-of-the-century matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi, Bette Midler has been earning rave reviews for her long-awaited musical comeback to Broadway. The glorious cast album was recently released and, trust us, your ears will immediately thank you for this musical theater goodness.


Also, the movie adaptation starring Barbra Streisand is currently streaming on Netflix, so what’s the holdup?  





“Jitney” (Best Revival of a Play)


From the mind of August Wilson, “Jitney” follows a group of drivers of unofficial and unlicensed taxi drivers ― called “jitneys” ―who transport residents of Pittsburgh Hill District in the 1970s because others refuse to do so. If you haven’t seen Wilson’s best known play “Fences,” the powerful film adaptation starring Viola Davis and Denzel Washington was released last year and also explores the experience and struggle of working class black Americans. 





“Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812” (Best Musical)


This interactive musical needs to be seen to be believed and it’s far too complicated to explain (seriously, it’s adapted from a section of War & Peace), so check out the cast, including Josh Groban, performing two songs on the “Today Show.”





“The Present” (Cate Blanchett for Best Actress)


No one plays morally complex women like Cate Blanchett, and the Oscar winner is in fine form in this surprisingly modern adaptation of an unfinished Chekhov play. Directed by the actress’ husband Andrew Upton, the standout scene features a drunk Blanchett pouring vodka all over herself, as she dances on a dinner table. Watch his interview with the cast below, and for more vodka and Blanchett, check out “Blue Jasmine.” 





The Tony Awards air at 8 p.m. June 11 on CBS.


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Why 'Dear Evan Hansen' Is The Broadway Show Parents Need To See

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“Does anybody have a map? Anybody maybe happen to know how the hell to do this? I don’t know if you can tell. But this is me just pretending to know. So where’s the map? I need a clue. ‘Cause the scary truth is I’m flying blind. And I’m making this up as I go.”


So goes the first song in “Dear Evan Hansen,” one of the most buzzed-about shows this Tony Awards season. “Does Anybody Have a Map?” is sung by two mothers who are struggling to connect with their teenage sons, and as some have noted, the number is basically a parenting anthem.


Starring Ben Platt (of “Pitch Perfect” fame), “Dear Evan Hansen” tells the story of a high school senior with social anxiety who, through a misunderstanding, becomes enmeshed in the aftermath of a classmate’s suicide. Although the plot of musical centers around the titular protagonist and his high school world, the theme of parenthood is also a key component of the show.


Rachel Bay Jones plays Evan’s mother, while Jennifer Laura Thompson and Michael Park play the parents of Connor Murphy, a troubled student who dies by suicide early in the show. All three actors are parents themselves, and their powerful performances speak to the love and heartache of raising children today.


Jones, Park and Thompson spoke to HuffPost about their emotional roles and the way this play has interacted with their own parenting experiences.



Jones, who has a 14-year-old daughter named Miranda, told HuffPost she believes songs like “Anybody Have a Map?” really resonate with parents. “You have absolutely no idea what you’re doing. You read so many conflicting books, and advice from everybody is so different,” she said. 


“And when they become teenagers, they change, and you sort of wake up and realize they’re not your baby anymore,” she added. “Because they’re not communicating with you the way that they used to, you don’t have any idea how to handle the things that come up, ― you don’t know what’s going on. Sometimes you think you do, but then you find out you have absolutely no idea.”


Jones believes that parents can connect with the show from the very beginning, as the opening scenes show groups of family members “trying understand each other and completely missing.”


Thompson echoed her co-star’s sentiments. “The books will tell you what milestones are going to be hit, what cures nighttime crying and feeding problems, and all of the issues that the average child will go through,” she told HuffPost. “But there’s really no such thing as an average child. Every child is made up of a different set of challenges and those are the things, the unexpected things that make us all flounder as people.”



The actress has a 13-year-old son named Tommy. In a way, “Does Anybody Have a Map?” takes her back to the day she brought her baby home from the hospital. 


“I thought, ‘They’re gonna let me leave with this person?’ I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I didn’t feel responsible, didn’t feel prepared, even as much as I’d read and set up nursery and had all the things I thought I needed. I was terrified.”


She continued, “We spend a lot of time being scared early on. Everyone will tell you that nothing can prepare you for parenthood. It’s gonna change your life. And people who don’t have children just brush it off as, “Yeah, yeah, I get it.” But It’s really so far beyond what you can expect that there’s no comprehending what that phrase means until you have a young being in your presence that belongs to you.”


For Jones, the play spoke to her on another level, as her character Heidi is a single mother like she is in real life. Though she has a long-term partner now, she and her daughter’s father separated when Miranda was very young. 


“There’s a very specific kind of relationship that develops when it’s just the two of you against the world ― especially when there’s hardship, when there’s not the support of family close by,” she explained.



“And that has been the case for me with my daughter. Struggling to keep us afloat, struggling to give her the things she needs to make life gentler for her while really being in it as a working person is something I know very well. So I come to this with my own experience,” she added.


In addition to drawing from their own experience for their roles, the actors have also brought lessons from “Dear Evan Hansen” to their parenting.


Park said this was particularly true for him. The actor has three kids, 19-year-old Christopher, 17-year-old Kathleen and 13-year-old Annabelle. His character Larry is a corporate lawyer dealing with the aftermath of his son’s suicide and his regret that he wasn’t able to get through to Connor. 


In many ways, playing Larry has changed Park’s approach to raising his children and his understanding of the value of communication. 


“I say this all the time. I’m so grateful for ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ because it has made me a better communicator with my kids, it has made me a more open human being in the relationship I have with my wife, and it has made me a better parent,” Park told HuffPost. “I’ve benefitted in ways that I cannot articulate as a husband, as a father and as as son.”



Though Larry had become a bit closed off from his son, Park urges his fellow parents to be open and persist in their efforts, even when it feels impossible. 


“I beg you to reach out and never stop communicating with your son or daughter or grandparent or your uncle or your aunt,” he said. “Never stop communicating. Try and try again. And when the door shuts, find a way to open that door again.”


Evoking the Act I finale “You Will Be Found,” Park said he believes both parents and teens need the reminder that they are not alone. “At the end of the day, that’s what the show is all about: being found, knowing you aren’t going through this by yourself,” he explained. “Someone is always out there for you.”


“Dear Evan Hansen” is a show that feels very relevant today, as it tackles the theme of being a teenager on social media and the way the internet affects high school life. 


“I think social media tends to magnify the issues that we all have with feeling connected, feeling disconnected, feeling less than, trying to one-up each other, trying to connect with each other,” Jones explained.  “It exacerbates all of these issues that have always existed, especially in the life of a teen.”



In the play, the parents only enter into the social media world their kids inhabit in a few times, and when they do, the experience overwhelms them. “I find that’s pretty real, when I touch on what life must be like for my teenager in her world of social media ― it is overwhelming.”


Park said he believes technology and social media are “double-edged swords” because they has the ability to bring people together for powerful causes but also inhibit one-on-one communication between individuals.


“When my daughter is downstairs and texting me to come down and make a sandwich, there’s a problem there,” he joked, adding that he doesn’t mind using technology restrictions as a punishment though. Ultimately, he said of social media and technology: “I’m grateful, I’m dismayed, I’m confused and happy all at the same time.”


Another theme is the connection between class and parenting, particularly as Heidi struggles to make ends meet between her job as a nurse’s aide and time spent at night school studying to become a paralegal. Meanwhile, Connor’s mom, Cynthia, leads a more affluent life.


“The show really deals with class issues in a beautiful way, in a really profound way,” said Jones. “These two mothers are both completely worthy moms. But when you’re a working class mother, you unfairly idealize these wealthy women who are able to be whoever they want to be as a parent, and that makes you feel inadequate all the time because you cannot provide for your kid what these perfect moms are able to provide.”


Although it’s true that wealth provides more opportunities, both Jones and Thompson said they feel none of that really matters when it comes to being a good parent. 



Thompson said she believes the play crushes some of the images of perfection that parents idealize. “Just because you have money and seem happy has nothing to do with your quality of life,” she said. “Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors.”


“Dear Evan Hansen” has received nine Tony Award nominations, including Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Jones. One of her most poignant moments is her solo number, “So Big / So Small” ― an emotional song about her split from Evan’s father and journey as a single mother.  


“It really somehow gets to the heart of everything that we feel as parents,” said Jones. “The need to be known by our children and forgiven for our flaws. The need to show our kids that even if we’re flawed and even if we mess up over and over and over again, that we really do love them and really are here for them. And that they have us always to come home to.”


The actress said she’s amazed that the songwriters, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, are two young, childfree men. 


“I’ve known those guys for a long time, and I’ve always said they write the best mom songs,” she said. “I think they just happen to have really great relationships with their moms, and they really understand all of us.”


Jones, Park and Thompson said that one of the most powerful parts of their work in “Dear Evan Hansen” has been the response from other parents. 


“I’ve received a couple of letters from mothers thanking us for telling this story, particularly Cynthia’s story or the mom’s story, because it’s not one that’s talked about very much,” Thompson said, adding that she’s also been moved by the response from fans waiting outside the theater. 


“There are so many times when there’s a teenager waiting to get a signature but there’s a parent behind them in tears thanking me for telling this story,” she said.



“Just the other night, a lovely woman with her daughter walked up to Rachel Bay and me and explained that the show was so important and was very emotional,” Thompson recalled. “They said her son had committed suicide and the young woman was his sibling. They were so moved and touched by the story being told, and that felt very rewarding.”


Jones said she believes “Dear Evan Hansen” helps people understand each other. “So often, there’s a generational divide that starts in the teenage years that never fully heals until we’re parents ourselves and we begin to understand.” she explained, noting that teens in the audience come away a better sense of their parents’ experiences, while parents are remembering what it feels like to be a teenager.


She said she constantly hears positive feedback from kids and parents ― especially single moms and children of single moms. “So many women are thanking me for this portrayal of Heidi,” she said. “So many children are thanking me for allowing them to see their mother and the struggles that she must’ve gone through.”


Added the actress, “There’s no more gratifying experience for me as a person than to to hear that come back to me, that in any way the show we’re doing is connecting people in this way.”


 


If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HELLO to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.

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Cedric The Entertainer Returns To The Apollo Theater To Honor His Hollywood Mentor

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Performing at New York City’s Apollo Theater in any capacity is always an exhilarating experience for Cedric the Entertainer. 


For his latest act, “The Original King of Comedy” will host the world-renowned theater’s 12th annual Spring Gala on Monday. The benefit event, which is the Apollo’s biggest fundraiser for artistic and education programs, will feature musical performances from the likes of CeeLo Green, Sheila E., Charlie Wilson and Wé McDonald of NBC’s “The Voice.”


The celebration will also honor Verizon with the annual Corporate Award for its philanthropy, and Peabody Award-winning director and producer Stan Lathan with the Trailblazer Award for his groundbreaking work as one of the first African American directors and producers in Hollywood.


Cedric told HuffPost that his experiences working with his mentor Lathan on shows like “The Steve Harvey Show,” “The Soul Man” and “Def Comedy Jam” taught him how to transcend urban comedy boundaries and become a business-savvy comedian.


“With Stan being on the forefront on the whole ‘Def Comedy Jam’ movement with Russell [Simmons] and all the guys who created the show, it gave urban comedy an opportunity to be seen in its rarest forms,” the St. Louis native said. “Being a part of so many great comedians getting their shine, he had that comfortability with it. It goes back with Stan to legends like Redd Foxx and being a part of their careers.”



“Especially in a TV environment with him, he was one to really help you, motivate and encourage you to push for your money,” he continued, “[or] let you know when it’s not gonna work for you in this brand of television. Like, ‘That might be funny on HBO, but you can’t do that on The WB.’ That’s the kind of ways he would influence you.”


For Apollo Theater President and CEO Jonelle Procope, having the award-winning comedian participate in honoring Lathan’s career continues the Apollo’s legacy as a center that recognizes thought leaders in the creative field who have pushed the arts forward.


”We are honored to present Stan Lathan ... with the first-ever Trailblazer Award, recognizing his groundbreaking work as one of the first African-American directors and producers in Hollywood,” Procope told HuffPost in a statement. “Stan not only paved the way for other African-American artists, but he also created a platform for emerging artists, particularly comedians.”


“So a comedy legend like Cedric The Entertainer is the perfect person to host this year’s Gala because he can truly appreciate Stan’s contributions to the arts and especially comedy,” she added.


All proceeds from the fundraising event will benefit the theater’s year-round performing arts programming, innovative education initiatives and community programs.


“These are rare circumstances where young people are being encouraged and motivated to not only be in front of the stage, but because they work hard can be behind the scenes as well,” Cedric the Entertainer said. Lighting engineers, set designers. And so, this is the kind of programming that is very important.”


To purchase Gala tickets or to make a donation to the Apollo Theater, please visit the theater’s website






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